Dedicated Newberry Volcanic Monument volunteer Marty Smolenski wins Forest Service national award

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The USDA Forest Service selected Pacific Northwest Regional volunteer Marty Smolenski of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument as the winner of the 2023 National Volunteer and Service Award for Leadership.

"I am thrilled to see the work of our volunteers in the Pacific Northwest recognized on a national scale," said Jacque Buchanan, Regional Forester of the Pacific Northwest Region. “Marty and all of the volunteers across Washington and Oregon are indispensable to the stewardship and preservation of our public lands. Our volunteers are vital to helping us accomplish work in service to the American people and I am thankful for all they do."

With eight years and 1,785 total hours of service at the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, Smolenski, from Brighton, Michigan, is being honored for her spirit of selfless leadership, passion, and outstanding dedication to the betterment of the Monument and the greater Deschutes National Forest, according to Lead Rangers and Smolenski’s nominators, Hannah Croxton and Adrienne Luoma.

Among many things, Smolenski was recognized for her expansion of volunteer roles into the retail and welcome station. She was also recognized for creating a guide for new volunteers.

“Marty embodies and redefines what it means to volunteer,” said Croxton. “Through her visionary leadership and innovative approaches, she makes Newberry National Volcanic Monument a better place for employees, her fellow volunteers, and all visitors.”   

Smolenski is one of 12 individuals and groups nominated by the Pacific Northwest Region for their service in 2023. All nominees were considered for the national award.

In 2023, more than 11,900 volunteers and service participants dedicated over 473,967 hours of service in the Pacific Northwest. Their contributions are valued at more than $10 million worth of work done throughout Washington and Oregon.

“Across the region, volunteers of all ages, demographics and backgrounds have proven to be integral to the mission of the Forest Service,” said Sarah Callaghan, Pacific Northwest Regional Partnership and Community Engagement Specialist over Volunteer Programs. “In fact, across the U.S. there are more than twice as many volunteers and service participants than there are Forest Service employees.”

The Pacific Northwest Region’s volunteer accomplishments accounted for more than 5% of the total volunteer hours tracked by Forest Service volunteers and service participants nationally. Across the United States, over 70,000 volunteers completed 2.6 million hours of service with their contributions being valued at more than $85 million.

From engaging with communities to supporting emergency response, the contributions from volunteers across the nation help the agency sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of our nation’s forests and grasslands.

For more information on volunteer opportunities in the Pacific Northwest Region, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/r6/workingtogether/volunteering.

For more information on the 12 nominations within the Pacific Northwest Region, including several groups on the Deschutes National Forest, visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r6/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD1171958.

For more information about the Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region, please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r6.